On the Hobie Wave I note the trailer option from Hobie does not mention mast storage. 20 foot mast, 13 foot boat....how is the mast handled when transporting the boat? Is it a two piece mast? How are people placing them on the trailer? Is there a big difference between a Hobie trailer or just getting a "jetski" size trailer and modding it for the Wave?

This will be my first Cat, having been a monohull sailer for many years. I sailed the Wave in Fl on vacation and loved it. I found the boomless design to make me comfortable in the case of an accidental jibe.

How long does it take to set up the boat at the ramp?

What is the avg price retail customers are paying for a new club version?
I welcome all comments.

I recommend getting the mast tie down kit. The mast is a 2 piece that come apart at the comptip. As far a setting up the boat I can be sailing within 10 min, you will have a learning curve but you will get fast too. You will need to add a few min if you have to assemble the mast. The Hobie trailers are nice, I do not recommend getting a jet ski trailer and modifying. Your dealer will have trailer options for you.

Thank you for your time. I appreciate your insight.
I think I agree. I might be able to save a couple of dollars by getting a used or less expensive trailer..but when I add in the cost and time of modifying that trailer it is really a minor price difference.

Now that I have a better understanding of how the mast setup works...do most people just bold some PVC pipe with threaded endcaps on for the sails and mast? How is that handled?

If believe you might be buying a larger cat down the road the I would get a trailer for a H16 and simply slide everything together to accommodate the wave. I like to Toy Box that Hobie sells for putting the sails and stuff in. I priced getting a PVC tube and it was about 200 bucks for a 10" pipe....so I am putting a toy box on my personal trailer as soon as the rain stops! Where do you live, where are you going to be doing most of your sailing at? As far as options for the wave there really aren't any. You can get back rest, jib and even a spin however most people start off with the basic wave set up and go from there as they get more accustom to the boat.

Thanks again Brad!
I can't say I am thinking about moving up to a 16. I like that the wave is small and simple. I have a larger monohull that I sail if I am taking more than one other person. More floating condo than sailboat really.
But that is why I like the wave. Back to the basics.

What about the Trailex aluminum trailer? It is a couple of hundred dollars more than the Hobie branded steel one, but is it worth it? I will be using it in salt water.

I am on Long Island, NY and I anticipate using the wave in the shallow bays on the South Shore as well as in the ocean on nice days. I do not anticipate launching from the beach, but from a bayside boatramp...hence the paddle.

Gear I will use from my regular sailboat include a waterproof handheld VHF with a spare battery, life vests, maybe put together a small daytime flare kit and I guess a paddle would be a good idea.

Just some insight from experience (or inexperience). I purchased a new
Getaway last year (Oct 2002) and decided the $800 for a new hobie trailer was too much for such a pathetic looking thing. I bought a trailer (from Habor Freight) and modified it for the boat.

It was pretty time consuming - and some of the steel was scrap and I have access to an arc-welder - so saved some money there.
That said I;
1. Have a better trailer than the hobie stock (12" tires -1100lb capacity)
2. Had to reposition the wheel-trucks forward to reduce the tongue weight - this was a real PIA!
3. Resulting from item 2 the rail of the trailer bent when I clipped a big pothole.
4. The repair - adding angle iron down both sides of the trailer was time consuming - in the middle of the summer it was painfully time consuming.
5. If I had to do it over again I would have bought an aluminum trailer to reduce weight because I tow it with a Ford Focus most of the time.

Do I regret the trailer fabricaton - not really
Would I do it again - probably not.
If I see a good deal on a trailerex now would I buy it - you bet!

I picked it up Sunday and I am thrilled. I bought a 2004 club model with a Hobie (Carnai?) trailer including the forward mast support on the trailer at a price I am pleased with.

On the assembly and parts manual there is a reference to inspection ports in each hull, in the aft area. I do not have these ports. Am I supposed to? It would be nice to be able to store some items in one of the available pouches that fit in the inspection ports.

Also, as much as the Hobie toy box is spacious, well constructed and attractively packaged, at close to $400 plus tax, it is just too expensive for me. Is there an alternative that anyone recommends? I am looking to spend about $100.

Are there any dealers (Hobie and cats in general) that offer discount pricing and/or internet shopping? I have not had much luck finding any.

I bought the mast caddie and put it on the rear crossbar. The other end goes over the mast post on the front of the trailer. I stowed my mast assembled with the Hobie bob forward. The connection got so tight with crust that it was getting problematic to undo each time. It got a lot of dead bugs on it, but not as much damage as road grit would've done. This meant I had to rotate the mast 180 each time, but I felt it was worth it. Bungee everything. I also put pads on the Y to protect the mast.

As far as storage, I cut plywood to fit inside the channel the trailer is made out of. Before bolting it in place, I covered the deck with blue astroturf. I then installed eyelets strategically for bungeeing the rudder/tiller assembly. I have a pickup, so I didn't have to worry about storage, I just put the sail in back. You could probably build a square storage box pretty cheaply, just make sure there's plenty of holes for drainage/ventilation.

I loved my Wave, and have since moved up to the Getaway. Good luck and have fun. Don't forget to practice tipping it on purpose. Righting practice is a must. Much better than having to figure it out when you didn't expect to tip and are flustered.

Thank you for your help Chuck. I think making a nice box from exterior rated ply may be the way to go.

Anybody have a comment about these inspection ports I see in the assembly video and the assembly manual? They are not on my boat and I don't know if they were an option or standard on the club version.

The 2004 is the first year that there are no ports on the hulls - they're not really needed. If you still want them, your friendly dealer has a cool tool for installing them, though I have always been leery of intentionally putting extra holes in the boat! You might want them for storage (the little orange sleeve bags are neat and handy) but they don't serve a real purpose otherwise.

Enjoy the new boat! There are several Wave regattas coming up - make sure you get onto Rick White's e-mail list for Wave owners. They're even planning a Worlds this year in the Carribean.

John

ps - I think all of the factory guys are at the 16 Worlds in Mexico - they have "all hands on deck" for that event!

Thank you for the info. I knew that there had to be a reason that nobody at Hobie got back to me in over a week and via email and the web response form. I still can't believe that they would let mail go that long though.
Using those ports for storage with the orange bags is exactly what I wanted to do. Ideal to keep a water resistant hand held VHF and flare kit in. I sail on the South Shore of Long Island, NY and once I feel comfortable on the Wave would forsee some ocean sailing off the beach. A radio is a nice thing to have if bad things happen.
We get some decent wave hights in the inlet and I could forsee jumping the Wave and getting some air. Keep in mind I have a total of 3 hours on a Wave, but 20 years on a monohull, so maybe I am asking some stupid questions. Are the boats able to take jumps?
What are some of the things I should be mindfull of?

If the Wave is such a success, why isn't there a Wave forum on this board?
I have not found much on the internet specifically for the Wave. I would love some sites if anyone knows any.

I know that on the older version of the wave hobie offered a single trapeze system, but I cant seem to find it on the recent waves. The accessory catalogs also dont provide much information of trapeze's designed specifically for the wave. Does anyone know anything about a trapeze for a wave? What about using the trapeze with the wave's tiller system, is it possible to add a practical tiller extention?

Thanks

Another Question - What are the differences between the club wave and the classic, if I use a trailer for the wave is the club version better because the hulls are more durable and the three piece trampoline I heard was better to the classic's. What is the wieght difference?

Jeff - I suppose the Wave'll jump big surf like you're talking about, but I don't have any experience in seas like that. I sail mostly in protected waters. I know that the Wave, like any smaller boat, suffers a bit in sloppy chop.

I don't know why they don't have a Wave board here, though I don't think it's really necessary - there are Wave boards elsewhere, and we're having a perfectly nice Wave conversation on this "Open" (X?) forum. I think (my opinion only) that there were (are?) a lot of "serious" sailors that consider the Wave to be a toy and unworthy of class recognition. I've actually seen that disdainful attitude expressed with great conviction. I think everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I think the Wave fills a niche - easy, fun, durable. I also think it's a surprising pleasure to sail and I enjoy Wave regattas a great deal. It doesn't sail like a toy.

I've gotten away from using stuff stowed in ports on most boats - I keep my drinks and gps in a soft cooler secured somewhere near the mast base. I'm usually racing when I'm on the water, and it's just too tough to stop long enough to get into the port. I agree that they're handy for recreational use and encourage you to get your dealer to put them in rather than risk a botched self-install. Definitely agree with the VHF when you're out off LI!

Saintman - I've seen the trapeze kit (there's one from Hobie made just for the Wave - you might have to call to get one) on boats, but I've NEVER seen anyone use or even really need it. Not to say you wouldn't, but even in high teens for wind, everyone I know just hikes a little harder, more downhaul, and enjoy the ride. I think they offer a one-piece factory hiking stick also, but you could put just about anything you want on there. Keep in mind that Wave regattas, if you are interested in that sort of thing, require you to sail without one.

The Club and the Special Edition (SE), now Classic, Waves have the same hulls, so there is no difference in durability. I've seen the cup holders in the SE trampoline wear out in a year or two, but for the most part, I really don't see much performance or up-keep difference between the two at all. I'd be interested to hear from someone at the factory why both are offered. Beside the tramp, is there a difference in the two? Nothing is really evident - I've sailed both since 1996 or so - but maybe I'm missing something.

Hope to see you both on the water - summer's heating up and I'm looking forward to some tiller time!